Lady&#39;s purse



April 27, 1943. M. c. SMITH LADYS PURSE Filed Sept. 8. 1941 CARRIERS,

5 .Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to purses for carrying a limited amount of change and small articles and is arranged to be attached to the dress of the user. An object of the invention is to provide a dependent purse with the opening in the back thereof and which is accessible only when the purse is turned upside down; another object of the invention is to provide a purse of this type from which coins cannot readily be spilled and another object of the invention is to provide a purse of this type with fastening means for securing the opening by a slide operating vertically.

These and other objects of the invention will be more particularly understood from the following specification and the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front view of the purse suspended from a belt;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the purse shown in Fig.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a back View of a modified form of the invention in the normal position;

Fig. 5 is a back view of the purse shown in Fig. 4 in the inverted position, and

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation on line 6--6 of Fig. 5. l

This invention comprises a purse or wallet which is provided at the upper end with a loop of exible material to receive the belt of the user and provide a. suspension for the purse. The purse is made of leather or flexible material and is closed on the front, except that a pouch may be provided for articles other than money. An opening is provided to the interior of the purse on the back side or the side adjacent the user. This opening is provided with a suitable closure fastened by any of the common fasteners and which, under ordinary conditions, is not accessible as long as the purse is in the depending position. The contents of the purse is made accessible by turning it upwards on its exible support so that it may be unfastened and the ngers inserted to remove the contents. When the fastening is closed the purse is automatically restored to the normal position with the fastening concealed.

In order that coins or loose articles may not Coins mayis inverted and be held in the cup-shaped receptacles until removed by the fingers.

'I'he invention may be applied in a variety of designs and colors to match the dress of the user and, while intended primarily for ladies use, it is not limited to this use but may be effectively used by others 4and particularly by school children.

In the drawings, II is a belt which is threaded into the loop I2, supporting the body I4 of the purse. The loop may be perforated as indicated at I3 for ornamentation and to show the color of the belt under the loop. The loop I2 is made of flexible material secured to the body I4 so that it may be turned upwards as in Fig. 6, without injury or undue wear. The purse comprises a piece of leather or fabric, folded as indicated at I5, and stitched around the ends to make a closed container. The corners are preferably cut oi as indicated at 2l and 22. The opening I9 is provided with a ap or cover I8 which is secured by the fastener 20. This encloses the space a of the container body, the space b at the upper end opposite the sloped corners 2I and the space c at the lower lend opposite the sloped corners 22. The opening I9 is preferably deected towards the center as shown to facilitate inserting the fingers and this opening terminates where the sloped corners begin so that the spaces b and c have no opening leading directly to the exterior of the purse but instead are accessible through the central opening.

The front of the purse may be provided with a pouch as indicated at I6, provided with a fastener I'I and used to carry pencils or other small articles.

In the construction in Figs. 4 to 6 the opening at the back of the purse is provided with a fastening of the zipperl type, indicated at 24 and operated by the tab 25 and which secures the edges at the opening 23.

When coins are inserted in the purse through the central opening they drop into the cupshaped cavity c when the purse is in the normal position. When the purse is inverted as indicated in Fig. 6, with the front side turned towards the body of the user, indicated by the line d the coins drop from the cavity c to the cavity b while the fastener is accessible from the side of the purse that is now exposed. The coins in the tapered cavities b and c are easily reached by the fingers through the central opening. Since the central opening terminates intermediate the ends of the body I4, if the corners were square instead of being tapered as shown at 22, the coins would be diilicult to dislodge from these corners. pered corners avoid this diculty.

An advantage is obtained in this construction when the sliding type of fastener is used as the tab, Fig. 4 is in the lower position when it is closed and the device is suspended; on the other hand, when the device is inverted, as in Fig. 6, the tab is moved from the upper to the lower position to unfasten the device. This type of fastener may be placed diagonally of the body if so desired. I'he purse is freely suspended and the sliding tab 25 is subject to friction against the body of the user. If this tab were in the upper position it would have a tendency to move down by the friction and open the purse. By having the tab in the closed position at the bottom of the slide this condition is avoided.

Since the opening of the purse is concealed and is not accessible until it is inverted, it cannot readily be opened by pick-pockets without arousing the attention of the user.

Having thus described my invention, I claim: 1. A purse comprising a at container having a flexible loop at its upper end engaging a belt to hold the purse freely suspended from the belt The taand with the back of the purse adjacent the body of the user, a vertical opening on the back of the purse and intermediate its ends, a sliding fastening for said opening, said fastening being closed when the slide is in the lower position and the purse normal, said fastening and opening being concealed by the purse in the normal position and being exposed when the purse is turned on said loop upside down.

2. A purse comprising a at container having a pair of cup-shaped ends arranged to hold coins or the like, an opening into said container intermediate said cup-shaped ends, a closure for said opening on the back of the purse, a flexible connection attached to the upper of said cup-shaped ends, and means engaging said exible connection for fastening the purse upon the garment of a user with the back of the purse adjacent the body of the user and the closure concealed in the normal position of the purse but being exposed when the purse is turned upside down on said exible connection, the coins or the like in said purse moving from one cup-shaped end to the other as it is turned on said connection.

MABELLE C. SMITH. 

